Neonatal Mortality, Young Calf Slaughter and Milk Production during the Early Neolithic of North Western Mediterranean

Abstract

The North-Western Mediterranean witnessed a rapid expansion of farmers and their livestock during the Early Neolithic period. Depending on the region, cattle played a more or less important role in these communities; however how these animals were exploited for their milk is not clear. Here we investigate calf mortality to determine indirectly whether cattle dairying was practised by Early Neolithic stock herders. Age-at-death (AtD) frequencies for calves from two sites: Trasano (Italy, Impressa culture: 7-6 th millennium BC) and La Draga (Spain, Cardial culture: 6 th millennium BC) were estimated from dental eruption and development stages, and measurements of un-fused post-cranial material. Adult age classes are well represented in the dental AtD frequencies and were interpreted as the result of the slaughter of prime beef and retired lactating females. For calves aged less than 12 months, there was no statistical difference in the AtD frequencies based on dental and post-cranial material indicating that the data is a good representation of the mortality patterns of calves, either natural or deliberate. At both sites there was a strong mortality peak at 3-6 months in all AtD profiles. At La Draga, this peak was clearly differentiated from a peak at 0-1 month, which can be interpreted neonatal mortality possible a consequence of the birthing season coinciding with the end of winter during more humid climatic conditions that at present. The deliberate slaughter peak around 3-6 months is discussed, and we propose that stock herders controlled the mortality of infant classes, possibly in response to variable external environment pressures while maintaining animal productivity.

Regional asynchronicity in dairy production and processing in early farming communities of the northern Mediterranean

“…The correlation between caprine dairying and cave sites obtained for the Impressa/Cardial ware communities results from a partial seasonal mobility from plain to the cave hill sites, as an adaptation to the rugged terrain of France and the Iberian Peninsula. In contrast, well-watered open landscapes, such as southern Italy and northwestern Spain, appear more suitable for specialized cattle dairy husbandry (45). Consequently, the influence of the external environment cannot be dismissed; however, better climate proxies are needed to test this.…”

“…The first Impressa Ware culture was identified in the Adriatic region around 6000 cal BC, introduced together with domesticates by pioneer sea-faring farming communities (42, 43). Archaeozoological analyses suggest that both caprines and cattle were managed for milk, with specialized intensive husbandries for the former (4,17,44,45). Ages at death for caprines from Impressa sites group around the postlactation, prime meat, and adult classes, suggesting mixed husbandries, possibly including milk production ( Fig.…”

“…Cattle were intensively slaughtered during infancy and postlactation, probably associated with dairying ( Fig. 3 A and B) (45). Analyses carried out on 189 Impressa/Early Neolithic sherds collected from 14 early farming sites from the region (including 36 sherds from ref.…”

Applying Zooarchaeological Methods to Interpret Mortuary Behaviour and Taphonomy in Commingled Burials: The Case Study of the Late Neolithic Site of Bolores, Portugal

“…Subadult teeth allow for more fine‐grained age estimation, and thus greater differentiation between commingled individuals, than is possible with fragmented postcranial remains. For these reasons, zooarchaeologists commonly rely upon dental remains to construct subadult mortality profiles (Gillis et al ., 2014).…”

Animal husbandry strategies in Eastern Zhou China: An isotopic study on faunal remains from the Central Plains

“…However, this reflects human‐enforced weaning, and calves allowed to wean naturally nurse until at least 4 to 6 months of age (Balasse & Tresset, ). Studies of ancient cattle elsewhere in the world often indicate weaning ages of 6 months or more, but also suggest significant variation with ages as young as 3 months possible at some sites (e.g., Gillis et al, ; Gillis, Carrère, Saña Seguí, Radi, & Vigne, ). The youngest age of the Songzhuang cattle is about 10 months; at this age, a residual δ 15 N effect of nursing could be present if the animals were weaned at 6 months or later.…”